Prep School: Easy techniques to use tonight

Shirred pleasure

Easy-to-make egg dish perfect for brunch

September 12, 2011|By James P. DeWan, Special to the Tribune

(Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune)

In the dustier corners of culinary arcana lie shirred (aka "baked") eggs, so off the beaten path that the origin of the word "shirred" is a mystery. We do know shirred eggs are wonderful. Baked in a small dish, the just-set whites and warm, liquid yolk smother small bits of bacon or ham or vegetables or any wonderful thing.

Why you need to learn this

Shirred eggs are an excellent brunch dish because they're easy to prepare for a lot of guests. Plus, with the host of ingredients available to put inside, the dish is extremely versatile and can be as simple or elaborate as you like.

The steps you take

First, a little background: The French have a similar preparation called "en cocotte," in which eggs are placed in a small dish (la cocotte) and baked inside a water bath.

Although shirred eggs also are baked in small dishes called ramekins, most recipes call for them to be baked directly in the oven, not inside a water bath.

We recommend the water bath. We're still going to call them shirred, because we're speaking English, but here's why we we're not going to put them into the oven straight:

Eggs are largely composed of protein, and that means the best way to cook them is gently. Without going too far into the science, protein-rich items like eggs or meat have strands of protein that tighten with heat (the scientific term is "coagulate") and begin to squeeze the water out of whatever you're cooking. That's why overcooked eggs can seem rubbery, and overcooked chicken breasts tough and dry.

But ramekins surrounded by simmering water can never get hotter than the temperature of that water (about 185 degrees), even inside a 350 degree oven. Ramekins exposed to nothing but the heated air of that oven, though, will continue to get hotter and hotter, and that heat will transfer to the eggs, increasing the risk of overcooking. Baking your eggs in a water bath exposes them to a much gentler heat, decreasing the risk of overcooking.

One last note: Ramekins come in all shapes and sizes. The rule of thumb is the same as with any cooking vessel: It should be just large enough to hold all the ingredients comfortably.

Here is the method for one serving in one ramekin. As you increase the number of ramekins, the cooking time may increase as well.

2. Add precooked flavoring ingredients. (Raw ingredients won't be cooked by the time the eggs are done.) Crumbled bacon, slices of ham or sausage, smoked fish, vegetables — such as sauteed mushrooms, asparagus tips or even leftover ratatouille — and shredded cheese. Anything you can imagine putting inside an omelet will work at the bottom of a ramekin.

3. Add your egg(s). Two per serving seem reasonable, but one or three will work too. (Just remember the rule that all ingredients fit comfortably into the ramekin.)

4. Top with a little butter, grated cheese or cream. (Interestingly, the oldest known reference to shirred eggs, in the Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia published in the late 19th century, defines "shirr" as "to poach (eggs) in cream instead of water.") You may also do this after the eggs have set to keep the dairy ingredients on top.

5. Set the filled ramekin inside a larger, straight-sided dish (such as a casserole dish), then add very hot or simmering water until it comes up to the level of the egg mixture. Be careful not to pour water directly into the ramekin. Place the dish with the ramekin in the center of a 350-degree oven and bake until the whites are set and the yolks are warm and liquid. Depending on how many eggs you're using, what other ingredients you have in there, how well your oven works, etc., the time can vary greatly. After 6 minutes, check every minute or so until the eggs are done. Remove from oven, rest for a minute, then serve in the ramekin.